Risperidone accelerates bone loss in rats with autistic-like deficits induced by maternal lipopolysaccharides exposure

Effects of prenatal exposure to inflammation coupled with prepubertal stress on prefrontal white matter structure and related molecules in adult mouse offspring

Maternal immune activation (MIA) by inflammatory agents such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and prepubertal stress (PS) may individually and collectively affect the central nervous system (CNS) during adulthood. Here, we intended to assess the effects of MIA, alone or combined with PS, on prefrontal white matter structure and its related molecules in adult mice offspring. Pregnant mice received either an i.p. dose of LPS (50 μg/kg) on gestational day 17 (GD17) or normal saline. Their pups were exposed to stress from postnatal days (PD) 30 to PD38 or no stress during prepubertal development. We randomly chose 56-day-old male offspring (n = 2 offspring per mother) from each group and isolated their prefrontal areas according to relevant protocols. The tissue samples were prepared for structural, histological, and molecular examinations. The LPS + stress group had evidence of increased damage in the white matter structures compared to the control, stress, and LPS groups (p < 0.05). The LPS + stress group also had significant downregulation of the genes involved in white matter formation (Sox10, Olig1, myelin regulatory factor, and Wnt compared with the control, stress, and LPS groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, although each manipulation individually resulted in small changes in myelination, their combined effects were more pronounced. These changes were parallel to abnormal expression levels of the molecular factors that contribute to myelination.

Identification of methylation markers for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a hereditary heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and speech dysplasia. We collected the expression profiles of ASD in GSE26415, GSE42133 and GSE123302 from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database, as well as methylation data of GSE109905. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ASD and controls were obtained by differential expression analysis. Enrichment analysis identified the biological functions and signaling pathways involved by common genes in three groups of DEGs. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were used to identify genes with the highest connectivity as key genes. In addition, we identified methylation markers by associating differentially methylated positions. Key methylation markers were identified using the least absolute shrink and selection operator (LASSO) model. Receiver operating characteristic curves and nomograms were used to identify the diagnostic role of key methylation markers for ASD. A total of 57 common genes were identified in the three groups of DEGs. These genes were mainly enriched in Sphingolipid metabolism and PPAR signaling pathway. In the PPI network, we identified seven key genes with higher connectivity, and used qRT-PCR experiments to verify the expressions. In addition, we identified 31 methylation markers and screened 3 key methylation markers (RUNX2, IMMP2L and MDM2) by LASSO model. Their methylation levels were closely related to the diagnostic effects of ASD. Our analysis identified RUNX2, IMMP2L and MDM2 as possible diagnostic markers for ASD. Identifying different biomarkers and risk genes will contribute to the diagnosis of ASD and the development of new clinical and drug treatments.

Effects of Neurological Disorders on Bone Health

Neurological diseases, particularly in the context of aging, have serious impacts on quality of life and can negatively affect bone health. The brain-bone axis is critically important for skeletal metabolism, sensory innervation, and endocrine cross-talk between these organs. This review discusses current evidence for the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which various neurological disease categories, including autoimmune, developmental, dementia-related, movement, neuromuscular, stroke, trauma, and psychological, impart changes in bone homeostasis and mass, as well as fracture risk. Likewise, how bone may affect neurological function is discussed. Gaining a better understanding of brain-bone interactions, particularly in patients with underlying neurological disorders, may lead to development of novel therapies and discovery of shared risk factors, as well as highlight the need for broad, whole-health clinical approaches toward treatment.